


A Real Boy

by theWitchBoy1832



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bill Weasley being a good brother, Coming of Age, Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, Gender Dysphoria, Percy Weasley-centric, Protective Oliver Wood, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trans Percy Weasley, Transgender Percy Weasley, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22731898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theWitchBoy1832/pseuds/theWitchBoy1832
Summary: Percy Weasley, or Marceline Weasley as he is known to his family, cuts his hair. He packs his brothers' clothes in his suitcase. He changes his name to Percy. He just doesn't know how he'll handle his family or life at Hogwarts as his new self.Please be kind
Comments: 9
Kudos: 120





	1. A Real Hair Raising Situation

**Author's Note:**

> Percy is a trans male. I reference him in the first chapter as Marceline Weasley and don't switch names and pronouns until the second chapter where he decides he's going to be known as Percy Weasley. Percy's experience is based off of my own experience with being trans so if it feels off I'm sorry, I'm just going off of what is familiar to me. I love Percy and wanted to explore him more as the sort of outcast. Sorry if you don't like Fred or George here, they're kind of mean to start off with because they were kind of mean to Percy in the books. Sorry for any errors and any mistakes I make with pronouns or British slang, I'm American so I don't know it all.

Marceline Weasley sometimes wished she could be like her younger sister Ginny. Ginny was a girl. Marceline felt upset every time her Dad introduced her as his daughter. When she played with her brothers she liked to pretend she was a boy. She was starting her first year at Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry and she wanted to make a big change. She hated her long hair. It got in the way and was just annoying. It was just straight and limp too not pretty like the other girls’. Marceline preferred all her brothers’ shorter hair anyway except Bill who had long hair. Fred and George made fun of her hair for the umpteenth time. Now she was sitting in front of the mirror, scissors in her hand. She thought of all the girls who would tease her about her long hair like the twins did. But if she cut it then she’d like her hair and it wouldn’t matter what anyone else would say. 

She screwed up her face in the mirror and curled her hair around her finger. She opened the scissors and was about to cut when the door swung open.

“What are you doing?” asked her older brother Bill.

“Nothing,” She said quickly hiding the scissors behind her back.

“That’s not nothing, you’re hiding scissors.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yes you are! I’m going to get Mum,” declared Bill.

“Wait no! Don’t get Mum. I’m… I’m cutting my hair.”

“Is this about what Fred and George said? They were just teasing you Marcie.”

“They’re right though. My hair is awful and everyone else is going to think so too! I just… I’d like it better if it was shorter like the younger boys’,” said Marceline.

Bill stared at her then softened, “Alright let me help you.”

Marceline handed Bill the scissors with a smile. Bill held up a chunk of her hair.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked.

“Positive.”

“Alright,” sighed Bill. He took the scissors and began chopping off hair. He worked for what seemed like ages. 

“OK I’m done!” Declared Bill. “Oh, please don’t be mad at me.”

Marceline sucked in a breath and stepped up to the mirror. She gasped as soon as she saw herself. Her hair was much shorter. It was sticking up in different directions and was varying lengths in parts. It looked like someone cut it blindfolded. She stared at herself in the mirror and felt her hair.

“Are you mad?” asked Bill.

“I… I love it! Thanks Bill!” shouted Marceline and she turned around and hugged Bill.

Bill grinned and hugged her back. 

“Do you think Mum will be mad?” asked Marceline.

“I think she’ll be surprised but you had to have thought of that already.”

“Marice, Bill! Dinner!” Shouted their Mum from downstairs. 

BIll sucked in a breath, “Guess we’d better go down.”

Marceline straightened herself out and nodded. 

“Don’t worry,” said Bill, “If it comes to it I’ll take the blame.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Of course I do! It’s what big brothers are for.”

“Thanks Bill.”

“No problem.

“Marceline! Bill!” Called their Mum, Molly.

They went downstairs. Marceline paused in the shadows of the steps. She took a breath and stepped into the dining room. Her family was chattering on, oblivious to her presence. Charlie noticed first, he looked up and dropped his fork. 

“Charlie what-” began Molly but she gasped when she saw Marceline.

Everyone turned and looked. They all gasped. Fred and George started laughing. Molly silenced them with her stare. 

“What did you do?” asked her dad, Arthur.

“Do you like it Dad?” asked Marceline. 

“I…Molly?” Arthur handed off.

“Your beautiful hair!” Disparaged Molly. 

“I did it,” said Bill pushing Marceline behind him.

“Why would you cut your sister’s hair?” asked Arthur.

Marceline winced internally. 

“Because… well..” tried Bill. 

“I asked him to,” defended Marceline, stepping out from behind Bill.

“Why?” Asked Molly.

“My hair was ugly before. I don’t want to be teased about it at school.” Tears welled up in Marceline’s eyes.

“Yeah because your hair looks so much better,” teased Fred.

“What did you do? Cut it in the dark?” laughed George. 

“Enough!” Shouted Molly. “I just can’t believe you’d do this. Sweetheart your hair was beautiful.” 

“I didn’t like it. Fred and George were right. I looked like a porlock!”

“Oh sweetheart you did not!”

“I did! But it looks better now right Dad?” asked Marceline.

“Uh…”

“Your hair’s funny!” Shouted Ron.

“You look like a head of cabbage,” quipped George.

Molly sent him her best be quiet stare.

“Why didn’t you come and get me Bill?” asked Molly.

“Because it’s her hair and she wanted to do it.”

“Alright, let’s sit down and eat and we’ll fix your hair after dinner.”

“Fix it? It looks great, right Dad?” asked Marceline.

“Well…”

“You don’t like it?” Marceline’s voice broke and tears spilled out of her eyes.

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it was just the lighting. Oh yes, I see that’s better now. Beautiful!”

“Arthur.” Chided Molly. “You’re not going to school like that. I’m going to cut it so it looks like you didn’t get gum stuck in it. Now sit down let’s eat.”

They sat down and ate. Marceline pushed the food around on her plate. After they ate Molly cut Marceline’s hair so it was all even. It was now shorter than all her brothers’ hair and was starting to curl in places. Marceline studied herself in the mirror. She ran her hands through her hair and smiled. Ginny caught her staring in the mirror.

“You look like a boy,” said Ginny. She ran off. Marceline smiled and puffed up her hair. Molly caught the exchange and stifled a sob. Marceline saw her in the mirror.

“Mum are you alright?”

“Yes,” She wiped her eyes then started sniffling. “It’s just your hair.”

“You don’t like it?” asked Marceline.

“I do it’s just I’m going to miss your long hair. I just liked you needing me to help you style it. It was one of my favourite things to do with you.”

“But I was going to have to style it myself at Hogwarts.”

“I know,” conceded Molly, “But I was going to teach you a spell to help.” She ran her hand through Marceline’s hair. “My sweet girl, off to Hogwarts.”

Marceline’s stomach turned. Sometimes she hated being a girl. Maybe she liked her short hair because she could forget she was a girl. It was a little more difficult with the kinds of clothes her Mum picked out for her but maybe with new hair she could try a new style. She didn’t even need new clothes. She’d just pack Bill and Charlie’s hand me downs that her Mum was saving for Fred and George. They wouldn’t mind if she took them. When her Mum went to go tuck Ginny and Ron into bed, Marceline snuck up to the attic. She was careful to avoid the ghoul as she dragged the box down stairs. She tried a few outfits on. She liked the collared shirts and sweaters fine. She found a black and gray flannel she loved and a few black t-shirts. There was even an old band t-shirt that she tried on. She didn’t like the form fitting clothes. She liked the baggier style that hid her developing feminine frame. She found some black jeans. She took scissors and cut holes into them to give her an edgy look. 

Someone knocked on the bathroom door. Marceline stuffed the clothed back in the bin and carried them out. Charlie eyed him.

“What are you doing with that binn?”

“Packing up clothed I’ve outgrown,” lied Marceline. 

Charlie shrugged. Marceline left to find the old suitcase. She stuffed the clothes she liked in it and slid it under her bed. She shared a room with Ginny who was fast asleep by the time Marceline laid down. She was glad their Mum had Ginny. She could be the little girl their Mum always wanted. Marceline didn’t know what was wrong with herself. She wasn’t her mum’s perfect daughter anymore. She didn’t know what she was she just knew her brothers were lucky to be born boys. She would give anything to trade places with one of them. She wished she was born a boy but then she thought about her Mum who wished and wished for a girl. She was stuck with Marceline, who didn’t feel like a girl but had the bad fortune of not being born a boy. She imagined herself as a boy. Her Dad introducing her, my son. Her heart swelled with happiness. But she knew her happiness came at a price. Her mother’s heart.


	2. A Real Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy goes to Diagon Alley and does some shopping with family. Ollivander knows his secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I switch names and pronouns half way through because I like that it changes when he really decides to make a change. Sorry if that bothers you and sorry if there is any pronoun errors. Sorry for formatting errors. I'm still not sure how to work it.

Marceline and her family were going to Diagon Alley to get her wand. They were also getting Bill his books, second hand of course. Marceline was using Charlie and Bill’s old books and gloves and robes. She’d get her own wand though so she was excited about that. Her Mum wanted to buy her skirts from a charity shop. Marceline was trying to convince her Mum that pants were fine.

“It’s part of the dress code Marcie!” cried Molly who was getting frustrated. 

“It’s sexist. I should be able to wear pants if I want to.”

“Yes but you’re a girl and girls wear skirts.”

Marceline felt like she had been slapped. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Marcie dear, why are you crying?”

She wiped her eyes. “I’m not crying.”

“Sweetheart, I’m your Mum, I know when you’re crying,” She consoled.

“I just… I don’t want to wear skirts Mum,” mumbled Marceline.

“What? I can’t understand you when you mumble. Remember how we were practicing ennuciating our words?”

Marceline had been having self confidence issues and the mumbling was a big part of that. Her Mum had been reading a lot of self help books about “special” kids who needed a little more attention. She found one on mumbling and since then she had been suggesting word exercises to “cure” Marceline of her mumbling before Hogwarts. Obviously she had not succeeded. 

“I just want to wear pants.”

“Marceline’s turning into a boy,” joked Fred.

“What?” gasped Marceline, afraid he’s figured out her secret wishes. She floundered, “No. No. I just want to wear pants.”

“Enough Fred. But why is it so important Marcie?”

“She’s turning into a ghoul!” Shouted George.

“George!” Shouted Molly.

Marceline was trying to think of a good reason. Then it hit her. She read her Mum’s self help books too.

“I’m self conscious about… my legs… and my body.”

“They are like a centaur’s,” quipped Fred.

Marceline was getting angry with the twins, “Shut up you… you Plimpy brain!”

Usually Marceline had no trouble arguing with the twins but now she was so frazzled by their comments she couldn’t think.

“Ooh, nice one Marcie. Devestating blow!” said George.

“It would be if we could understand it but we have plimpy brains,” said Fred.

“Enough you two. Bill, why don’t you take them to Zonko’s while I talk to your sister,” said Molly.

Bill left with the twins and Charlie, while Arthur entertained Ron and Ginny. They were playing gotcha in the street. Molly was going to say something but she noticed Marceline breathing heavy.

“Hey Marcie, it’s alright, you don’t have to get upset. If it means that much to you, you can wear pants, but sweetheart you have to know your body is beautiful and every girl is self conscious at your age.”

Marceline felt guilty for lying, “Mum, I…” She began then Ginny tripped and started crying. 

Molly ran over to her. Marceline breathed. She almost told her Mum everything. 

They ended up going to Zonko’s to pick up the boys. Marceline was glad when her Mum refused to buy the twins anything. They made their way to Ollivanders. Molly and Arthur stayed outside with the kids. Arthur was going to come in but Marceline said she was fine going in alone. She just wanted a moment to be by herself and catch her breath. She entered the store.

Mr. Ollivander came from around the counter. “The Weasleys. Always a fine bunch. What wand will choose you young Mr. Weasley?”

Marceline’s head snapped towards him and her heart beat fast, “Did you just…?”  
“I did,” said Mr. Ollivander.

“But how did you know?” Asked Marceline who felt right for once.

“The same way I know what wand is best for the witch or wizard. I just feel it.”

“You won’t tell anyone?” asked Marceline.

He made a motion of locking his lips, “Not a peep from me.”

Marceline smiled, a real smile. 

“But you should consider confiding in someone you trust. It doesn’t do us well to keep secrets of that nature,” advised Mr. Ollivander.

Marceline nodded. She didn’t know who she’d tell. She’d always looked up to Bill. He could keep a secret.

“Now for your wand,” said Mr. Ollivander. “Try this one, Beech, 10 ½, unicorn hair.”

The wand popped and fizzled. Somewhere around the back a wand began to glow and float out of it’s box aand away from it’s place. Mr. Ollivander went over to it.

“Fascinating,” He said. He edged the wand over to Marceline who grabbed it. “Vine, 10 ¾, Dragon heartstring, unyielding. Vine wands can sense owners who strive for a great purpose sometimes upon entering the room. You will do great things Mr. Weasly. But what is your first name, so I can remember?”

Marceline thought about a name she’d like to use. She’d thought about it before, if she’d been born a boy. Her Dad always liked the name Percival and Marceline quite liked it too.

“Percy,” he said. “Percy Weasley.”

“Percy Weasly,” Repeated Mr. Ollivander, “A wonderful name.”

Percy grinned then paid for the wand and left the shop.

“Someone looks happy!” Noted Arthur.

“Let me guess, all the wands exploded?” asked Fred.

“No,” said Percy smugly, “Vine, ¾, dragon heartstring, unyielding.”

“Cool, dragon,” chimed Charlie, picking out his preferred information as always. 

“Nice!” said Bill. “Vine wands are supposed to be extraordinary.”

Percy beamed. 

“Why’d it pick Marcie then?” asked George. Fred laughed.

Percy didn’t bother with him, he was too busy thinking about the name he told Mr. Ollivander. He wondered what would happen if he came out and he could go by Percy at Hogwarts. 

They went to the bookstore. They picked up their books, then Percy asked if he could stay a little longer. His Mum said that was fine. They left. Percy went to their social issues section. He found a book entitled, Born a Girl Feel like a Boy: Get Back to Normal with these Spells. He flipped through it. He found what he was feeling was called transgender. He felt relieved that other people felt it too. He was just upset that people felt it was wrong.Percy rejected that book. He thought maybe Flourish and Blotts might have something more relevant. He left the second hand shop and walked down the street to Flourish and Blotts. 

An employee approached him, “Hi, how can I help you? Looking for textbooks?”

“Um, no,” said Percy, “I can find it myself thanks.” And he did. He found a book called Transgender and the Wizarding World. It was a book about a man who transitioned into a woman using a potion she invented. Her name was Marlie Marshwell. He purchased it with the money his Aunt Muriel gave him for helping clean her attic. He went back to the used bookstore and bought the book he saw. The man at the store eyed him oddly then said, “Good for you.”

Percy stiffened at that. He went into a small alley off the main street and cried. He took out the books and cast a spell that Charlie had shown him before he got his wand. It was easy enough to learn. Charlie used a spell to change his dragon books into ones with different names. They read: The History of the Werewolf Problem and Goblins: Friend or Foe. Percy thought Bill might be interested in the last one so he changed it again to: The Galleon, an Economic History. His family would never touch them. 

Once he calmed himself he went back to his family.

“What did you buy?” asked Molly.

Percy showed them. 

“Was the in depth uses of dragon claws missing?” asked George.

“I’d read that,” said Charlie.

“I know,” said Fred, “You two deserve each other.”

“Dragons are interesting,” defended Charlie.

“Not all the time,” groaned Ginny. Fred and George laughed. 

They picked up the rest of their things then flooed home. When Percy got home, he went into his room to study his books. He read about the woman, Marlie, who struggled with her own identity in a society which told her she was a boy. She studied potioneering after she took a job at a barbershop and collected women’s hair for polyjuice potion. It never felt right. The potion is not well known and is stigmatized because of the shame the trans community is made to feel. Percy got to thinking about Hogwarts and how he would have to sleep in the girl’s dorm and be called Marceline. He thought about what Mr. Ollivander said about telling someone. He found himself standing in front of the mirror practicing what to say. 

When he was sure he went to Bill.

“Can I talk to you in my room?” asked Percy.

“Sure,” answered Bill. He followed Percy into his room. “What’s this about?”

Percy made sure the door was closed and locked. “Can you cast the silencing charm?” 

Bill cast it then waited for Percy to say something. Percy sucked in a breath then breathed, “I want to be a boy.”

“You what?” asked Bill.

“I want to be a boy. I’m trans… transgender,” said Percy fumbling the word.

“Is that why you wanted to cut your hair?” asked Bill.

Percy nodded. Bill reciprocated the nod, trying to think of what to say. “How do you know?”

“Little things like hating when Mum and Dad refer to me as their daughter. I hate my name, I hated my hair, I hate the way I look and my chest. When we played pretend I always wanted to be boy characters like Merlin instead of Morganna. Even though you always tried to talk me into it. Things like that,” explained Percy.

Bill nodded again, “I just.. Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“OK. What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I was just thinking about Hogwarts and how I would have to sleep in the girl’s dorm.”

“You want to sleep in the boy’s dorm?” asked Bill.

Percy nodded.

“But it’s messy and boys are…”

“I just… I don’t feel like other girls Bill. It just feels wrong. They know it and I know it.”

“Well, what can I do?”

“I don’t know. You’re my older brother. I thought you might have some advice.”

Bill sighed, “This is sort of uncharted territory. Nobody has ever asked me this. But I believe you. I suppose I can write McGonagall. She seems really strict but she actually really cares. She’ll know what to do and I’ll tell her not to say anything to Mum and Dad, I’m guessing you’re not ready to tell them?”

Percy shook his head.

“OK Let’s go write the letter to McGonagall right now and you can approve it before I send it.”

“Thanks Bill!” Said Percy who embraced Bill.

Bill hugged him back, “It’s what big brothers are for.” After a minute he pulled away, “I’m guessing you won’t want to be called Marceline anymore?”

“I was thinking Percival. Percy for short.”

“Percy,” tested Bill. “Percival, Percy Weasley. I like it.”


End file.
